Breaker mechanism for distributors



Sept. s. 1925.

P.E.DEMMER BREAKER MECHANISM FOR DISTRIBUTORS Filed March 2. 1923 INVENTOR. Paul ELDemm er BYQ g x TTORNEY B. t L

Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL DEMMER, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, 'ASSIGNOR T D. & W. SPECIALTY COMPANY, A CORPORATION.

BREAKER MECHANISM FOR DISTRIBUTORS.

Application filed March-2, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL E. DEMMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, county of Santa Clara,-State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breaker Mechanism for Distributors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in the breaker mechanisms of timers or distributors such as are generally used in the ignition systems of internal combustion engines.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a breaker mechanism, applicable to any form of distributor, so constructed that a rubbing action is had between the contact points of the breaker when they come together or separate, making it impossible for the points to pit or burn, and of course increasing the life thereof.

Another object is to construct the said mechanism so that the breaking distance, or the spacing between the breaker points when they are separated, will be the same at all times, regardless of the wear of the points or of any play. or wabbling movement of the shaft which carries the breaker actuating cam.

This latter feature insures sparks of equal intensity being formed at the plugs of all the cylinders of an engine at all times, regardless of the looseness of the cam shaft or distributor head, eliminating the necessity of fitting said shaft with new bearings on that account or of replacing the distributor head.

The contact points may also be adjusted to break the right distance before the device leaves the factory, and need not be disturbed thereafter.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is de signed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of ref- Serial No. 622,281.

erence indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a distributor, snowing my improved breaker mechanism with the points closed or in contact.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the contact points separated.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 33'of Fig. 1, the cam shaft being removed.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes the distributor head or casing of a type particularly intended for use on the engine of a certain popular make of car, this casing having a transverse Wall 2 intermediate its ends, said wall having a central orifice Q.

Mounted on the outer or front face of this wall in suitable spaced relation are rigidly fixed L-shaped brackets 3, one of which is in direct contact with said wall while the other is insulated therefrom.

Rigidly fixed on the brackets are flat spring strips 4, which extend past the orifice 2 on opposite sides thereof and therebeyond for a certain distance, being symmetrically bent toward each other as at 5 for the latter portion of their extent, being again made straight or parallel to each other at their outer ends.

These springs lie parallel to the wall 2, with their greatest width at right angles thereto.

At the outer ends of the springs 4, which take the place on the usual movable and fixed breaker arms, are mounted contact points 6, one of which at least is adjustable relative to its arm, any suitable means, such as shown at 7, being used to accomplish this.

Fixed on the inner faces of the arm 4 and facing each other are lugs S of fiber or some similar insulation material, these lugs being diametrically disposed relative to the axis of the cam shaft 9 of the engine, which when the distributor is assembled, projects through the orifice 2 and carries a fixed cam 10 having a plurality of opposed high and low faces 11 and 12 respectively,

as is customary.

These faces and the lugs 8 are so arranged relative to each other that when any two of the low faces 12 are adjacent the lugs, the latter are clear of the same, and the springs 4 are still in tension, the points 6 being then in contact.

Due to the syn'nnetrical curvature in the arms 4', as at 5, when the points 6 come into contact with each other under the spring tension present throughout the length of the arms, the upper or free ends of said arms have a tendency to move longitudinally. This tendency is occasionedbythe tendency of the spring tension curvatures 5 to straighten outer underthe pressure of the contacting points. This action imparts a slight and consistent wiping or rubbing effeet on the points in both directions they are moved into or out of contact with each other.

'The same action, but in the reverse direction, is of course obtained when the contacts are separated, the result being that the points cannot pit or burn, as happens when they vare vmoved directly away from each other without. any such rubbing.

Thebreaking ott' the contacts is had when the hi ghitaces'll ot the cam engage the lugs 8,:and-it will be evident that sincethe distance between any two opposed :taces is a fixed quantity, the amount the points are to be separated will always be the same, regardless 01 whether one arm may'be sprung or moved outwardly a greater amount than the other, as would be the case it the shaft and casing were out oftrue relative to each other, and as happens when the shaft running in a too tree hearing, or the casing becomes loose. The latter conditions, when the usual single movable breaker arm is use 1, results in uneven tweaking of the points, and a consequent difie-rence in the in tensity oi the sparks formed at the engine spark-plugs. This unevenness, as will be evident, has been eliminated by my improved construction.

The breaker arms are of course connected or interposed in the circuit of the distributor and gijuition system. In the present showing that arm st which is insulated from the easing wall 2 is connected as by a screw 13 to a collecting; ring 14 mounted in thecasing on the side of the wall 53 opposite from the arms 4: while the other arm, as stated, is connected direct to the wall and casing, which is grounded.

It is evident, however, that my breaker construction may be mounted in any distributor or timer, and the particular parts tovwhich thearnis are electrically connected depends or? course upon the construction of said distributor.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the inventi on as set forth herein.

While this specification forth in detail thepresent and preferred construction (it the device still. in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do notctm'ma departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having now particularly described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A breaker mechanism for distributors includinga pair of parallel spring arms fixed at one end and tending to spring toward each other, syinn'ietrical inwardbends in the arms terminating in iiree ends parallel to the arms,-contact points in such free ends normally in contact with each other under the influence oi the spring action of the arms, and a means co-operating with the arms to intermittently engage and spread the arms to cause the points to break con-- tact with each other.

In testimony whereof I ailfix my signature PAU L F. DEMMER. 

